Valenciennes – FC Sochaux
Saturday (7 p.m.), Hainaut Stadium
When we met him in the stands of the Jacques-Forestier stadium in Aix-les-Bains, at the beginning of July, Moussa Doumbia had the mask on. A rare image that said a lot about the difficulties of integrating the Malian international, victim of a malaria crisis during the preparation course for the Yellow and Blue. Because in normal times, the native of Bamako always has a smile. “That’s what strikes him first,” said his compatriot Oumar Sissoko, goalkeeper of Racing Besançon. “Moussa is the embodiment of joie de vivre”.
“He is so nice and so funny,” confirms Guillaume Lafrance. The Montbéliardais, passed by the youth teams of the FCSM, was his physical trainer at the Stade de Reims. “When I arrived in Reims, he had just had shoulder surgery. He is the first professional player I have had to deal with in individual work. And I had a great time with him. Moussa is a locker room man, he always has a joke, or else he makes us laugh without wanting to, especially with his improbable style of dress.
“Chico” and his improbable looks
Those who crossed his path remember, among other things, a pajama jumpsuit, sunglasses in the middle of winter and in the rain, or a hat during the heat wave. These sartorial follies have also earned him the nickname “Chico” Doumbia, in reference to the former defender of PSG, Siaka Chico Tiéné, also very fashionable. And don’t tell him he looks improbable. He replies that he is “well dressed”. Question of perspective. “I was called Chico at the Jean-Marc Guillou Academy because I dressed handsome, with style,” laughs Moussa Doumbia.
“He’s kind of in his own world. Sometimes he does not understand an instruction, but it will always end in a burst of laughter, because he is really very endearing, ”adds Guillaume Lafrance. “When you see him arrive with the shorts down his buttocks, a little nonchalant, you don’t take him seriously. But in reality it is a big hard worker. Little by little, I managed to get him interested in physical preparation and, in the end, he was the one with whom I spent the most time in the gym after the sessions. This summer, when he was looking for a club, he even called me to put together an individual program for him”.
“He’s not a leader, but it feels good to have him”
So inevitably, the Malian international contacted his former physical trainer in Reims when he was asked by Sochaux. “I told him it would suit him well. And to my friends from Sochaux who asked me for an opinion, I always answered ”you’ll see…”. Last season, he was no longer part of the club’s project because he was at the end of his contract, not because he was injured. In reality, he had only one small physical glitch in the adductors which lasted a month, that’s all. We spoke again since his arrival in Sochaux, a priori he is very happy with his choice. It’s just sad not to find an African restaurant! »
Even deprived of mafé, the 28-year-old shows his best face in the Doubs. His percussion qualities are particularly bad for Ligue 2 defenses. David Le Goff, former assistant coach of Mali, alongside Alain Giresse, is not surprised. “He was not always a starter because he had a little trouble finishing matches. But he already had this percussion game, made of flashes. Moussa had only been called up once before our arrival in 2015. He was young and came with the attitude we expected from a player who joins a group. He was the troublemaker in the locker room, smiling, charming. He is not a leader but it feels good to have him in the group”.
The succession of Thioune is assured
“When he arrived in selection, it was the little youngster. I was among the elders, I had the role of big brother, ”recalls Oumar Sissoko. “But it was easy with Moussa. He knew how to blend in well and he was always one of the first to try to lighten the atmosphere in the locker room or during rallies.
If he has kept his good habits at FCSM, the former Rémois may have taken over from Ousseynou Thioune, much appreciated in the Sochaux locker room last season for his good humor. All that remains is to wait for the first negative temperatures to see with what clothes Doumbia will go to Bonal every morning. Something tells us that we have not finished having fun!
